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Holidaymakers looking to head to Koh Samui in Thailand with Hong Kong Airlines can now make use of two Bangkok Airways flights to the island, either by flying non-stop or via Bangkok.

The codeshare allows Hong Kong Airlines passengers to travel either non-stop from Hong Kong on board Bangkok Airways’ flight, or to connect with the Thai carrier’s domestic Bangkok-Koh Samui services following a connection from one of Hong Kong Airlines’ 37 weekly flights to the Thai capital.

Speaking about the codeshare, Bangkok Airways president, Puttipong Prasartthong-Osoth said: “[The codeshare] allows us to give passengers a convenient and seamless access to and from Samui, either on our non-stop twice daily service from Hong Kong to Samui or on multiple daily domestic flights between Bangkok and Samui.

The maiden flight of Qatar Airways’ new Doha-Krabi service arrived in the southern Thai beach destination yesterday (December 6), marking the first time a Middle Eastern airline has served Krabi.

The Airbus A330-200 was welcomed by a water salute at Krabi International Airport, followed by a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by Qatar Airways senior vice president of Asia Pacific, Marwan Koleilat and Thailand’s Ambassador to Qatar, Soonthorn Chaiyindeepum, who were both on the maiden flight.

“I am delighted to be able to inaugurate the first service to Krabi, providing travellers from key markets with direct access to Krabi and the region’s tourism hot spots – undeniably some of the most popular and sought-after travel destinations in the world,” said Koleilat. “Thailand remains an important market for Qatar Airways as we continue to explore key secondary destinations to better serve the global traveller.”

The new four-times-weekly service operates on Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday, with the Doha-Krabi leg taking place in the early morning and arriving mid-afternoon, and the return voyage departing shortly after and arriving back in Doha in the evening.

Known for its tropical beaches and natural landscapes, Krabi also features sites such as the Buddhist Tiger Cave Temple. Krabi is the third destination in Thailand served by Qatar Airways after Bangkok, which began in 1996, and Phuket, which launched in 2010. The airline will also begin serving the country’s northern city of Chiang Mai in 2017, a destination popular for its numerous cultural attractions.

“Thanks to the new route launch, Thailand now has even better connections to the world,” said Yuthasak Supasorn, Tourism Authority of Thailand Governor. “Krabi is one of Thailand’s most iconic regions. Situated on the Andaman Sea on the southwestern coast it is rich with pearly beaches, translucent waters, coral reefs, waterfalls and natural caves. Last year, Thailand received more than 39,000 tourists from Qatar and with this new route, we expect more tourist arrivals in the years ahead.”